


Gathering Secrets

by AceTrainerAlicia



Series: The Adventures of Jaina: A Faith Renewed [15]
Category: Runescape
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-08-09 15:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7808056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerAlicia/pseuds/AceTrainerAlicia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been some time since she’d attended a meeting at the Legends’ Guild… and it would certainly be hard to try to explain how she got to be with child!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gathering Secrets

Seeing the Legends’ Guild building come into view below, Jaina realized that it had been quite some time since she’d paid the place a visit. How long had it been? She could remember how she’d used to go frequently, how she’d been excited to tell everyone about her latest adventures—of course, she’d had to keep quiet about anything related to Zaros or being friends with Mahjarrat, but that hadn’t held her back too much before.

Even though a part of her missed going to the guild meetings, what could she possibly reasonably tell everyone now? All of them would greatly disapprove of the truth, except the Raptor, who wouldn’t care and would probably either want to duel Azzanadra or ask why she hadn’t tried to fight him. Sir Owen would disapprove the most, and even if some of them were more understanding than she expected, Ozan would definitely want to exaggerate the juicy details and spin an even wilder tale.

The guards gawked and stared as Coeli landed before the gate, and Jaina carefully lowered herself to the ground and waved to them. “Good afternoon! I hope I didn’t startle you too much!”

One of the guards gave a nervous smile. “Well, if anyone could tame a griffin, it would be you!”

“I assure you, she’s quite friendly, and very wise and knowledgeable,” Jaina said, petting Coeli’s head. “Oh, would it be alright for her to come onto the guild grounds?”

The guards glanced at each other, murmuring in bafflement. Finally the second one turned to Jaina again, still looking confused. “You know, there’s no rules about griffins on the premises… you’ll have to ask Radimus, I suppose…”

They opened the gate, and she headed through the garden with Coeli close behind. The large doors were just big enough for a griffin to fit through, but only barely.

Radimus Erkle looked up at the sound of the doors opening, and his eyes widened in astonishment. “Ah… welcome, Jaina! When did you manage to tame a griffin? Even seeing one is rare, and they can be quite hostile to humans…”

“It’s a long story… I rescued her, and she was very grateful!” Jaina smiled and stroked Coeli softly. “I assure you, she’s both friendly and wise… You don’t mind her being here, I hope?”

Radimus scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Hm, well… if she’s tame, it’s not a problem, but she seems to be too big to fit through the doors. If you want her to accompany you to the meeting upstairs, she will need to stay on the balcony outside where she can fit! The others will be keen to hear about how you tamed her, and I am certainly curious too!”

“Ah, that does often seem to be the case… ” She grinned awkwardly as she looked at the staircase, which, although vast, was most assuredly not made for a griffin to ascend. “Well, thank you kindly, Radimus… I’ll be showing her to the balcony now!”

Waving to him, she led Coeli back out into the gardens and around the building. The griffin tilted her head curiously as she looked around the premises. “Meeting outside?”

“Upstairs, actually,” Jaina replied, “but you weren’t going to fit up the stairs…”

“Doors small,” Coeli lamented. “Palaces of Senntisten had big doors—many big demons, and tall Mahjarrat! Thought important place like this have big doors too…”

“I know, and it must be so troublesome…” As they came around the back of the building, Jaina motioned towards the balcony above and lifted herself up and onto Coeli’s back with a bit of effort. “Right up there is where we usually meet! Everyone’s likely already here—well, Sir Owen might not be here yet. I’m not sure if he can fully recover from all he’s been through… but I’m digressing! Let’s head on up…”

Coeli fluttered up to the balcony, letting Jaina carefully slide off before she came to land on it herself. Almost immediately the adventurer could hear a chorus of surprised gasps from inside.

As she was brushing off her skirt, the half-ajar door opened all the way and a very astonished-looking Ariane stepped outside, her deep sapphire eyes wide as she stared. “Ah… good to see you again, Jaina! Is that a griffin? What’s it doing here?”

“How did I know you would ask that?” Jaina smiled nervously, feeling her face flush. “It’s a long story—I’ll have to get to it—but I assure you she’s friendly!” She wrung her hands, shifting in place. “Seems I have a lot that everyone wants to know today! Then again, that’s what I get for not having been to a meeting in some time, I suppose…”

“Indeed, we have all been so worried about you!” Ariane nodded frantically, looking her over. “Only Sir Owen has seen much of you recently, and the expedition you both went on was months ago, so it’s hardly that recent…”

“Is he here yet, by the way?” Jaina asked, frowning. “Surely he’s needed a lot of time to rest and recollect himself after that—I’ve certainly needed a lot of time to recover from… well, everything really!”

“Yes, he is here,” the red-haired sorceress replied, beckoning. “Do step inside! We have much to catch up on—oh, pardon me, Madam Griffin, but the door is too small for you!”

Jaina glanced back at Coeli as she followed Ariane inside, and the griffin looked a bit forlorn as she stepped forward and poked her head through the door. The adventurer stopped briefly to hug her neck, offering a sympathetic smile. “I know…”

She left the door open for Coeli to keep watch as she followed Ariane over to the center of the room. A table had been set up with food and wine, in particular a long loaf of bread filled with thinly sliced cured meat and melted cheese, and everyone save for the Raptor was seated around it. Ozan was playing his lute, singing a bawdy drinking song about a squad of Kinshra soldiers at the Rising Sun Inn and the prostitutes who seduced classified information out of them. Linza was singing along, sitting casually cross-legged with a full glass of wine in her hand. Xenia was quietly pouring herself a glass of wine, and Sir Owen looked uncomfortable with the song as he picked at the grapes and cheese in front of him. The Raptor, as usual, was standing stiffly in front of a sword case with his helmet practically mashed against the glass, seemingly oblivious to everything else.

As Ozan and Linza finished up the song’s chorus, the latter ended it with a startlingly loud and unladylike belch, causing even the Raptor to jump. Jaina nearly stumbled backwards and had to grab the top of an empty chair to maintain her balance.

Sir Owen hastily waved to her with his single arm. “What a time for you to arrive, Jaina! I do hope you haven’t lost your appetite after that…”

The purple-haired mage managed to regain her balance. “I think I’ll manage—it’d take more than a raunchy drinking song to make me not want to eat!” She set about filling her plate, wondering if the babies could smell or sense the food nearby and if they would both get hungry again when they did.

Ariane’s gaze strayed curiously to her stomach. “So when is the baby due?”

Jaina nearly dropped her plate. “Oh, you… you noticed?” she asked, her spine tensing up.

“Indeed, we recently heard the news,” Xenia said, her brow furrowing. “Strange, given that you never mentioned marrying again or meeting anyone you fancied.”

“Weren’t you worried about marriage putting an end to your adventures?” Sir Owen added. “I’m not so sure you’re prepared for this child—aren’t you concerned it’ll be a strain?”

“Who’s the father?” Ozan asked, looking very intrigued. “How did you meet? Have you known each other long? You ran off together, I presume? He must be quite dashing and handsome, although not as much so as I!”

“They say a mother’s intuition makes you good at predicting what the baby’ll turn out to be,” Linza remarked, taking a gulp from her glass of wine. “You got that kind of sixth sense, kid? You think it’s a boy or a girl? Or are you gonna have to rely on Ariane for that?”

“I do suspect she would rather be surprised,” Ariane said uncertainly, an uncomfortable grin crossing her face. “Foreseeing whether the baby will be a girl or a boy seems rather like cheating! There are better uses for a seer’s abilities…” She frowned, shaking her head. “If I had to guess, though, I think the baby will be a girl—what do you think, Jaina? Surely you’ve wondered that? Or have you only found out too recently to think on that question too much yet?”

Linza shook her head. “I dunno, if you ask me, I think it’s a boy. Either way, kid, this is likely gonna be the hardest thing you’ll have to accomplish yet! I certainly don’t know how you’ll manage it.”

“I don’t know either, but I’m going to have to pull myself together and do it one way or another!” Jaina smiled uncertainly and bit into a slice of cheese. “Well, I’m not going to give up adventuring, that’s for sure… and that’s all I’m really sure about…”

“That will be far easier said than done,” Xenia pointed out sternly. “Particularly during the first couple years—your child will need you greatly; you must not think to simply foist him or her off on the father.”

“Speaking of the father,” Ozan chimed in impatiently, “do tell us about him! Xenia is right; it is strange that you’ve not yet told us about him.”

“Let’s let her get a word in edgewise, Ozan,” Ariane said firmly. “We haven’t exactly given her much room to talk yet!”

Everyone turned to look at Jaina, and she could feel all their gazes—except the Raptor’s—pierce through her all at once, Sir Owen’s quiet stare seeming to be the most intense. It was odd that he’d been silent this whole time; it was clear from the way he was looking at her so concernedly that he was curious and worried. Was he simply too shell-shocked from his previous ordeals to want to say anything?

Well, she’d once again have to be careful, watch what she said. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and took a moment to gather her thoughts before she spoke. “Yes, I did only recently find out, roughly a month ago when I first started to show.” She really hoped she wouldn’t have to completely make up too many details—someone might ask a question she didn’t know how to answer, and her nervousness in trying to think up an answer might give her away. “I’ve been a bit too preoccupied trying to prepare to think too much about a name or whether I’m carrying a boy or a girl yet! All I know is that I’m sure it’ll come in the spring, within five months’ time.”

She paused briefly to eat a strawberry. “As for the father, he’s a scholar working for the Museum of Varrock, and a good friend. His name is Dr. Aurelius Nabanik—you might have heard of him; he mainly studies Second Age societies and the ways of ancient magic. He even taught me a few things about matters of magic—and he is indeed handsome! Tall, rugged, red hair and beard, charming smile—oh, and I didn’t mean to not tell you all before; we eloped, is all! We didn’t want the hassle of a big fancy wedding, nor to attract too much attention to ourselves!” She smiled a little nervously, trying not to bite her lip. It was one thing to have to make things up for her neighbors, but for trusted friends and fellow heroes who actually knew the greater things that went on in the world? How furious at her would they be if she slipped up and they caught onto the fact that she wasn’t being entirely honest?

Linza chuckled, taking another sip from her glass of wine. “That sounds like an adventurer’s way of getting hitched alright! Any more dramatic and you’d have both been out fighting by Armadyl’s tower and gotten a priest to marry you right there on the battlefield.”

“He must be fairly good with magic himself if he could teach you,” Ariane added. “Did he assist in discovering that forgotten spellbook you found?”

“Why did you want to keep it a secret?” This time it was Sir Owen who spoke. “Surely there’s no harm in anyone knowing you’ve decided to marry again?”

“Oh, but you haven’t told us how you two met yet!” Ozan nearly bounced out of his seat. “Don’t be afraid to make up a detail or two to make the story more interesting!”

Jaina knew he was just itching for a juicy story to go around telling people, and the things he said might end up getting her or Azzanadra outed if she wasn’t careful. Quickly she focused on her plate for the moment, trying to dispel her worries. She would have to keep it simple and not say too much; if Ozan didn’t have too many specifics to go off of, he would invent details to fill in the gaps that weren’t likely to be accurate enough to give her secrets away.

“I first found him exploring a pyramid in the desert—the one a ways north of Menaphos, where I came across the ancient spellbook, to be exact—he’d gotten lost and was in a bit of a pinch because of all the traps and scarabs and such in there, so I helped him out! We hit it off from the start, and were good friends ever since. He went back to working at the Digsite after that, and I assisted him a bit with renovating some of the ruins so they’d look a bit more like they did when there was a city there! His knowledge on the subject of the ancient city and its society is second to none, and he also understood enough about the spells I discovered to advise me about how to use them more effectively.” She hesitated a moment, eating another strawberry. “I’m not quite sure how to describe falling in love with him—just that we were good friends for a long time, and I came to confide in him for many things before I realized I saw him as more. Eventually… well, we realized we felt the same way, and then we eloped, and now we have a baby on the way!”

The Raptor huffed, not turning away from the sword case. “Kid’s gonna keep you tied down at home and hold you back, Katarn. Good luck getting a chance to fight anything so long as it keeps demanding and needing your attention.”

“Never mind him,” Ariane cut in, shooting him a sharp glare. “I do hope you’ll let us all see the baby when it’s born! I should like to help you with his or her magic lessons one day, perhaps… I have no doubt he or she is likely to inherit your talent, and it will be good for a child to be able to learn from a young age!”

“Are you sure that’s all?” Ozan asked, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling as they always did when he had a wild story to tell. “It needs a few more details! Here—‘After the bold adventuress had braved the fire pits, spear wall traps, and scarab swarms of the great pyramid, with a little help from her good friend Ozan, she came upon a wounded explorer—right at the sword-point of a very angry mummy! Swiftly Jaina leapt into action, setting the undead warrior alight with a burst of flame, and carried the handsome redheaded man to safety! And then he gazed deeply into her eyes and said, “Ah, fair maiden, I thank you dearly for saving me; might I ask for your hand in marriage?” And, of course, with a little encouragement from Ozan, she graciously accepted!’”

The purple-haired mage felt her face flush as she smiled. “I see these troubled times haven’t changed you much, Ozan! I wish I could say the same has gone for me… But I don’t think I’m quite ready for word to spread to the general public about my pregnancy yet…”

“But of course—it all must be so overwhelming to you!” Ariane closed her eyes, looking a little ponderous. “I’ve wondered for a couple years if I might like to have a child of my own, and I think I understand my capability as a seer enough now to teach a child… maybe someday? I shall have to pay heed to how you raise your baby and learn from your experiences for sure.”

“Maybe that sort of thing just isn’t for me, but we’re all here to help you out with anything you might need, kid,” Linza chimed in. “I can make a crib or any furniture you’d need for a nursery, or a sling for you to carry the baby on your back when you’re traveling!”

“I’ve finished the baby’s room, actually,” Jaina said, “but I haven’t got a sling yet! That would be useful indeed…” Of course, she would have to alter it so that it fit two, but still…

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Sir Owen spoke up at last, “and I know this is an important matter for you, Jaina, but we will have ample time to speak of it. I’d like to know what else you have been up to—specifically, how did you tame the griffin outside? It seems to know and like you.”

The purple-haired mage straightened up, glancing briefly outside at Coeli. “Ah! I’ve been getting a lot about that today… guess it can’t hurt to tell you!”

She proceeded to describe how she’d met and freed Coeli and the places they’d gone flying, careful to leave out the griffin’s connection to Azzanadra. All eyes were on her as the group listened to her story, although nearly all of them occasionally glanced outside where Coeli watched.

The rest of the meeting went fairly smoothly after that, with everyone else talking about what they had been up to lately over the food and wine, though Jaina wouldn’t have had the wine even if she currently weren’t supposed to. Sir Owen spoke of his difficulties in reintegrating with society and the Temple Knights and a pilgrimage to Entrana he’d taken for introspection’s sake, Ariane described her recent endeavors in teaching basic and Lunar spells to young children in Lumbridge and Draynor, Ozan regaled the group with an exaggerated tale of stealing crystal weapons and rare elven treasures from Prifddinas, and Linza talked about how she had spent a lot of time in the dragon forge to smith dragon weaponry and armor. Occasionally the Raptor chimed in to remark about his recent kills and trophies; he sounded proudest about having managed to stuff an entire wyvern and get it into his home. Only Xenia remained quiet, her gaze remaining on Jaina as she ate.

As Ozan readied his lute and launched into a tender love song about a young White Knight squire and a Kharidian dancing girl, Xenia rose and beckoned discreetly to Jaina. “Follow me,” she whispered.

Jaina nodded in confusion and slowly stood up, wondering what it was the old woman wanted. Did she perhaps have some kind of grandmotherly advice to give? Xenia had never married or had children of her own, but she had mentored many young adventurers—perhaps she would at least have an inkling of what it would be like to balance adventuring and raising children.

As she followed her upstairs to the top floor of the Guild, Jaina noticed Coeli spreading her wings to lift off outside. She could hear the flapping of the griffin’s wings and the soft thump of her landing on the top floor balcony as Xenia ushered her into a small parlor.

The elderly veteran’s ice-blue gaze seemed to pierce her. “You do realize he’s a Mahjarrat, right?”

Immediately Jaina turned pale. “I-I’m well aware… but how did you—”

“You said so yourself,” Xenia pointed out brusquely. “You told us about how you ventured into the pyramid of Jaldraocht and discovered that the treasure within was not material wealth, but a trapped hero who thanked you for freeing him with a gift of ancient magic. I’ve known since before you were born that the prisoner within was a Mahjarrat of great power; in my youth I thwarted a gang of bandits who tried to take the Staff of Armadyl to free him.” She shook her head and brushed a thin silvery braid out of her face. “Am I correct in presuming that you are afraid of this knowledge becoming public?”

Shakily Jaina nodded. “Y-yes; you’re not going to tell people, I hope? It may be slightly safer to espouse my faith now than it used to be, but still, no one would approve of us, and if any Saradominist priest realized my baby was half Mahjarrat…” She shuddered all over, quickly squelching the thought before it could continue.

“You should at least be able to trust your fellow heroes with this sort of information,” Xenia said with a frown. “Even Ozan could be trusted not to spread the word; he is capable of understanding that some things are best kept secret. In any case, even if you knew he was a Mahjarrat and freely chose to get involved with him anyway, that does not mean he would not have deceived you in other ways or manipulated you for his own ends. Consider for what reason such a powerful being would give you the time of day—thanking you for freeing him with a gift of power is hardly the same as falling in love with you, and I doubt he was charmed by your looks and mannerisms.”

“I already know his motives and goals, and I’ve been happy to assist him with those,” said Jaina, bristling a bit at the last part. “He isn’t anything like Lucien; he doesn’t seek to subjugate humanity or anything nefarious! It’s also significant and important that I carry the first Mahjarrat child to be conceived in centuries—and we both understand how vital it is that both of us are there for said child.”

“That may not be possible.” Xenia’s voice was grim. “The Mahjarrat are known for their raw magical power and their warlike tendencies; I suspect that your odds of surviving the birth are much lower than they would be if your baby were fully human. You may require a doctor to cut you open in order to safely deliver the baby, and even then you might not survive—I would advise you to find a doctor who is both competent and aware of your baby’s Mahjarrat half.”

“I’ve already thought of that, and I already made arrangements for where I’ll deliver.” Jaina found herself with the mental image of someone cutting her stomach open with a long, massive knife, and she couldn’t shake the thought. “I wouldn’t dare risk consulting a doctor or midwife who wasn’t aware; they would scream and take my baby away for sure!”

“I am still uncertain you truly realize what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Xenia insisted. “He might very well intend to make use of you as little more than a childbearing vessel, if the Mahjarrat are indeed concerned about too few births. You might be subjected to dangerous magic that severely alters your being in order to keep you alive for such a purpose.”

“He’s been completely honest with me about everything so far,” Jaina shot back, feeling her patience wearing thin. “All Mahjarrat aren’t out to mindlessly hurt people—they’re a sentient race too, you know! Wizard Grayzag, Surok Magis, Nomad, that old bastard in Draynor and his psychotic lover—all of them were—or are—bad people; does that mean that humans as a whole are evil? He is my baby’s father and I will ensure that he is a part of his own child’s life—Mahjarrat mothers didn’t typically allow their babies’ fathers a hand in raising them, but I know from experience how important having a good father is!”

Xenia lowered her eyes, sighing deeply. “I’m worried about you for your own good, Jaina,” she said solemnly. “Perhaps you won’t be swayed into distrusting your beloved at all—and you may well turn out to be right; he may not mean you harm—but do not dismiss my advice because of how you feel for him. The life of another is a great responsibility to take on, and I do not want to see you go into this blind. Listen carefully and remember, if you do survive—and I dearly pray you do make it—do not make the same mistakes I did.”

Jaina blinked confusedly. “Mistakes?”

“I had to raise my only son on my own—his father left me when I learned I was pregnant.” The lines on the old veteran’s face seemed to have deepened, making her appear gaunt and weary, and her ice-blue eyes had a hint of a tear in them. “Ayrian was a sweet boy—he was everything to me—but I nonetheless neglected him all too often and did not have good control of my temper when he misbehaved. He came to distance himself from me, and when he grew up, he… fell in line with the wrong crowd. I… could not dissuade him from getting involved with shady folk… it… it didn’t end well for him.” She sighed deeply, looking down at her hands. “Your father… your father reminded me quite a bit of Ayrian. That was one reason I was harsh on him with his training… but I also encouraged him to find a good woman and be there for her through thick and thin, and that his prowess and skills could be used to be a good father and not just a good adventurer.”

“I-I didn’t know… I thought… since you’d never married…”

“I do not speak of Ayrian to just anyone,” Xenia said gravely, shaking her head. “Or at all, if I can help it. The loss of a child never stops weighing heavily on your shoulders… it’s one of many burdens I carry in private. But you have a chance to learn from my failings, succeed your child where I failed Ayrian… You must never be afraid to turn to us for help, Jaina. Trying to manage the task of child raising on your own will do more harm than good, especially if you too get abandoned… you must provide your child with sufficient attention, teach him or her well, discipline him or her but not too harshly, and not be afraid to do all you can to defend his or her life! A half-Mahjarrat growing up to be a destructive force is far more troubling an outcome than a human doing so.”

Suddenly Coeli gave a loud squawk from outside, and Jaina whipped around towards the sound, her eyes darting frantically around the room. “W-what’s going on?”

“Spy! Spy!” The griffin tapped at a window with her beak, frenziedly flapping her wings.

“What? Where?” Mumbling a quick “sorryaboutthis” in Xenia’s direction, Jaina rushed out of the room with her staff in hand, gunning for the window Coeli was tapping at—and immediately bumped into thick hard metal, yelping in pain as she stumbled backwards from the impact. A strong, gloved hand shot out and swiftly grabbed her free wrist to pull her back up before she could fall on her backside, and she found herself staring straight at a very astonished and confused-looking one-armed knight.

“S-Sir Owen?” she finally spluttered. “You followed us… you… you heard everything I said…”

“I, too, was worried for your well-being,” Sir Owen explained, helping her stand upright. “My apologies for never having the chance to breach the subject before; I ought to tell you the truth now—I’ve known about the Mahjarrat you were with long before we all heard the news that you were with child. I simply never knew how to approach the subject with you; all I could do was worry for you in private…”

“How did you know?” She could only stare at him with wide, round eyes, shivering intensely where she stood. “You didn’t tell anyone?”

“I have spoken to none but Lord Saradomin of the matter,” he answered softly. “He discovered your involvement while searching for you in hopes of getting you to join his armies at Lumbridge, and informed me while I was preparing for the expedition. Before you protest, I still accept that you needed time to grieve and support your decision to abstain from the battle, and my lord holds no grudge against you for it. He and I are both gravely concerned about what forces might have swayed you, however…”

“The forces that swayed me, as you put it, were my own wishes,” she snapped, bristling. “What are you insinuating?”

“Your virtuous heart showed me quite clearly that you had not willingly turned to a cause of evil.” Sir Owen’s voice sounded hopeful. “My lord Saradomin believed you to have been magically seduced, but I am not sure that is quite the case—”

“And you believed that?” Jaina stared at him indignantly. “Because I wanted to follow a god that Saradomin doesn’t like, because I could befriend and fall in love with a being that Saradomin doesn’t like, I must be magically brainwashed and incapable of doing things for myself? You certainly wouldn’t be claiming such things if my baby were half-icyene!”

“What? I didn’t mean it like that…” Sir Owen looked taken aback. “Please, Jaina, listen! You don’t realize the danger you’ve exposed yourself to… when I first heard the news, I believed there was no chance you could survive giving birth to this half-breed child, but after some consideration, I suspect you may well live. Likely, the Empty One has some kind of dark and sinister plans up his sleeve to keep you both alive so that you can serve as better pawns in whatever dreadful schemes he has…”

“And what could you possibly know of my lord and his plans?” she shot back, her eyes narrowing sharply. “That he’s the most evil evil to ever evil just because Saradomin says so? Your virtuous, wonderful lord of light allied with his greatest enemy for the sole purpose of destroying every inkling that my lord ever existed—including his followers, whose only crimes were not following the correct god! They killed unarmed, untrained civilians, Sir Owen—elderly, infirm, even children—and these were humans! The invading armies did not discriminate between soldiers and innocents… Maybe, just maybe, I took pity on a wronged people and wanted to help them when no one else would? Maybe they happened to have a wise and intelligent mentor who taught me much, helped me through my most troubled times, and proved himself a true friend? Maybe that’s why I’ve done what I’ve done, not because I was magically brainwashed?”

The knight stared at her in stunned shock, and Jaina couldn’t help but feel a bit taken aback herself. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down before she spoke again. “I’m not saying I want you to give up on Saradomin. Keep following whoever you wish! Just… consider listening to sides of a story you have yet to hear—new perspectives might surprise you. I… I only have a couple small requests to make of you... please.” Her voice was quiet and even as she locked her gaze squarely with his. “Promise me you will tell no one else of my beloved and leave him alone, and that you will never intentionally harm my baby—even if Saradomin would rather see my baby dead. Please… I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to my baby…”

Sir Owen frowned deeply, shaking a bit as he gazed back at her. “I… I will respect your wishes for privacy, and I will not harm your child. You have my solemn word.” His tone was sincere, and the steadfast look in his eyes as he gazed into hers was unwavering.

Jaina still wasn’t sure whether to trust him, especially not after what he had just said, but he had been a good friend through thick and thin so far, at least. And he was at least honorable and knightly… she shouldn’t suddenly fully distrust him just because he was Saradominist, any more than she should think all Mahjarrat were evil because they were Mahjarrat.

“T-thank you,” she whispered tentatively. “I will certainly hold you to your word! But I should probably be going…”

She briefly hurried downstairs to say quick goodbyes to everyone, and then returned to the top floor and stepped outside to greet Coeli. Wordlessly she flung her arms around her neck, burying her face in her warm feathered chest.

Coeli wrapped a wing firmly around her. “Not let any harm come to you or little ones!”

“I know,” Jaina murmured softly, reveling in the griffin’s warmth. “Sir Owen’s a friend, but he was still so willing to believe Saradominist misconceptions, still convinced that our lord is the ultimate evil… I don’t think he’ll hurt them directly, but I can’t help but worry…” She cradled her chest. “Oh, little ones, I’m scared… I get scared for you a lot, when I need to be brave and ready to defend you all the time…”

The griffin nuzzled her cheek. “We go flying? We need to tell Azzanadra about friend knight… this matter very important!”

Jaina looked up, suddenly overcome with a sense of longing. It felt strange to miss Azzanadra again after all the recent frustrations, but at the moment she felt the strong urge to run to him and embrace him—and the little ones could use the comfort of their father’s presence.

“Very well,” she said, carefully climbing onto the griffin’s back. “I do wonder how he’s faring!”

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, the Signature Heroes aren't generally well liked, but someone has to try to do something with them if canon itself doesn't!
> 
> Yes, this is set before Heart of Stone, and after the as-yet-at-the-time-of-writing unreleased Death of Chivalry sequel(s). I had to keep the events of said sequels as big of a Noodle Incident as possible so I won't have to edit this too much in order for it to mostly gel with canon, but I also had to make some conjecture--one of my theories is that Sir Owen will have his corrupted arm severed at some point, either in combat by accident or because it will have decayed too much to be usable anymore even after he is cured of his corruption. Only time will tell if that theory holds any water...
> 
> Speaking of conjecture, I imagined that with Ariane's intelligence and her passion for knowledge, that she might want to be a teacher--and frankly, I think she'd be a very good one! I didn't want her to have an outright aversion to having children, since there were already Linza and the Raptor for that viewpoint. And yes, I did intentionally drop a hint towards Kindred Spirits with Linza there.
> 
> Xenia's memory that you get in Nomad's Elegy heavily implies that the man she's mourning the loss of is her son, so it made perfect sense to incorporate that. I don't think she was willing to talk about him to anyone for a long time, which is why Jaina would wrongly assume that she hadn't had children. I think she's more worried about this baby ending up like her son or Jaina being abandoned to raise the child on her own than she is about Mahjarrat being supposedly all evil!
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!


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